Joyous Culmination of the 1960/2010 Connection Project
by Dana Feldshuh Whyte ’60 and Nancy Zone Bloom ’60
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As sleepy members of the Class of 2010 began to file over the Cat House Bridge into Senior Breakfast at Willits, they were surprised and delighted by the loud sounds of Dixieland Jazz being led by Alex-Lee (we’ll follow him anywhere), Clark playing the trumpet.
What was the band doing there? Who planned this? What’s this all about? Seniors looked bewildered, but pleased. We, in their Grandmother Class of 1960, had hired the band as a surprise “graduation gift” and rousing send-off for our well-loved granddaughters in the Class of 2010.
Distinguished older women (that would be us) lined the path wearing the gym suits we had considered an anathema during our time at MHC, white class blazers, Bermuda shorts, poodle skirts, PEARLS and circle pins (What did those pins signify anyway?). Some of us were carrying posters of our yearbook photos…to show the kids what happens in 50 years.
The band marched to the path leading to Kendall as hundreds of seniors followed. At 8AM, this was a very early morning gig for the five members of the band but Alex-Lee had told us that it had long been his dream to be followed by 500 Mount Holyoke College seniors.
Beaming seniors walked over, hugged “grandmothers” in the class of 1960, hugged random people, talked, laughed, danced and disappeared into graduation rehearsal where parade marshal, Penny Lebel, whipped them into alphabetical order in record time. The band played on outside Kendall as stragglers ran in and many in the class of 1960 were also dancing and singing on the steps of Kendall.
We welcomed the seniors and presented them with a check for $2010 to boost their treasury. We urged them not to become so isolated by their screens and headphones to the point where they no longer know how to make eye contact or read body language, and we thanked them warmly for keeping “us in touch with the current culture on campus.”
Although certain that it was impossible for them to contemplate fifty years, we reminded them that there would be a letter from the Class of 1960 to be opened at their 50th reunion. We hoped that many of them might remember some of our personal connections and later reflect on their continued connection to Mount Holyoke.
At the Alumnae Association Annual Meeting following the Laurel Chain Parade, co-president Sue Cabot and I delivered the class history, having conscripted two members of the Class of 2010, Hannah Doherty and Kelsey Anderson, to be our accomplices. Sue began with:
“Although steeped in tradition, Mount Holyoke has always been about the future as well. At the nexus of yesterday and tomorrow is today. Put another way, 1960 meets 2010 in the Amphitheater of the present. The dress was different, the language was different but like 2010, we went to class, produced papers, took exams, met at milk and cookies, talked through the night and made lasting friendships. We AGONIZED over relationships and the almighty future…” After a series of interactions (click here for full text), I concluded, “BUT, just like you…we laughed-in, stressed-out, burned-out and checked-out of South Hadley to go onto the next things. We left a big piece of ourselves and our hearts in this place.”
These surprise events represented the joyous culmination of a three-year relationship with our “Granddaughter” Class of 2010. (Watch the video of our presentation on YouTube!)
In an effort to encourage the Alumnae Association to reconsider the proposal of moving the 50th reunion to Reunion II weekend, we cited our intention of striving to form an active connection between our respective classes. This connection was to be based on material made available to us from the Class of 1961 at Dartmouth via our own Linda Webber Sturtevant and from the MHC Class of 1980 via Cynthia Reed. We wanted to highlight the connection on the graduation weekend for the Class of 2010 and desired that many members of our own class be present to facilitate the effort.
It all began in the fall of 2007 when we invited the Class Board of the Class of 2010 to join us for dinner at Willits. We explained that they were very special to us because in three years, we would be together on this campus celebrating two very important events in our lives: their graduation and our 50th Reunion. Soon they were calling us their “grandmother class.”
The connection continued as we participated in the annual event, More for Sophomores, and the establishment of almost one hundred email matches between women in the Class of 1960 and the Class of 2010.
We publicized a 2010/1960 Connection Dessert Reception during our mini-reunion in 2008, an event which “rocked” and resulted in the facilitation of even more email matches. Two major Elfing events were organized and accomplished and they have been described humorously and at length on our Web site (click on the top link “message board” and then click on the photo of hands). The two classes cooperated in a knitting community service project which resulted in the delivery of 70 items to a family shelter.
Members of both classes found that the connection added something rare and wonderful to our Mount Holyoke experience. It kept us in touch with the current culture on campus. Intergenerational relationships were formed and fostered. It is our hope that the Class of 2010 may feel closer to the College because of this additional connection…because they have now known women fifty years out of college who have maintained an association with the place where they met…a time/place that, perhaps, made them begin to know that “all things are connected.” Fifty years? Is that a span of timethey can contemplate? We could not.
Our class has had an on-going association with the Mount Holyoke Archives so this would not be complete without another reference. “On a new England Campus” was written by Frances Lester Warner (MHC, 1911). It was published in 1937 and in it, she quotes Mary Lyon before making a comment of her own which we can build upon. Mary Lyon said, “This Institution is destined to exist thousands of years. It is founded on a strong basis…It is of vast importance, and could we look back upon fifty years of its existence, we should see its utility.” (Recall that Mary Lyon died when she was 52.) In 1937, Mrs. Warner commented, “Fifty years? We are looking back over one hundred years right now. We have seen its vivacity in the past and in the present. But, perhaps the full scope of its utility for the future has not dawned on us as yet.” Here we are one- hundred and seventy-three years later.
We urge the Class of 2010 to keep their contact information up to date because we plan Elfing events on all continents. At the very least, we hope to see them at their reunion in 2012. They have not heard the last of us!
—Dana Feldshuh Whyte and Nancy Zone Bloom
Class of 1960 web site
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Class of 1960 Class History presentation
50th Reunion
Like all Mount Holyoke College class histories, ours begins in 1837.
Although steeped in tradition, MHC has always been about the future
as well. At the nexus of yesterday and tomorrow is today. Put another way, 1960 meets 2010 in the amphitheater of the present.
[2010 delegates on steps to get microphones]
The dress was different, the language was different but like 2010
we went to class, produced papers, took exams, met at Milk and
Crackers (no fruit), talked through the night and made lasting
friendships. We AGONIZED over relationships and the almighty
FUTURE. We listened to Mary Lyon chime and noted how much
time we had before…whatever.
[Hannah vocalizes first 2 lines of Mary Lyon]
1960—We lived mostly by the rules of the time and the rules of
the College. There were elaborate rules of college and dorm
life and rules on attire and decorum—on which we were required
to take a test.
2010—We’d—like—so—totally have issues with that.
1960—We didn’t have cell phones. We didn’t even have room phones.
There was a certain mystery and uncertainty and anticipation---
We speculated about things and there was an acceptable level of
“ignorance.”
2010—No texting or twittering? So, like no instant gratification?
1960—And we managed to get along without cars or a 5-College
Bus. We walked. We biked. We even had Saturday classes and
we were required to take 5 courses every semester. We took
COMPS in our major and had to pass in order to graduate.
2010—SO—like how did you meet “interesting people your own
age?”
1960—On campus? Mary Lyon mail room was a meeting place.
We hung out in Wilbur and Glessie’s and the College Inn and
had “mixers” and blind dates---remember no email because there
were no computers and no Internet. We used typewriters; a portable
typewriter was state of the art.
2010—I think I saw one for sale on e-Bay…Like HOW did you
correct mistakes?
1960—Did we MAKE them? (look at each other) Oh right…
WHITE OUT!
2010—Wow…we would be SO over that…Did you have whale
bone stays and smelling salts?
1960—No, but we did have sweater sets and pearls. Some of us
even wore girdles, which along with stockings and heels and
skirts, we put on for Gracious Living…when, all a-twitter (as the term was used 50 years ago), we hosted faculty members for candlelight Wednesday dinners in the dorm.
2010—We email our professors and often call them by their first
names…
1960—Each dorm had its own dining room and waitresses who were
scholarship students…
2010---Omygosh---overt class-ism
1960—Nope—financial aid and upward mobility.For the first 3 years, before a student mini-revolt, there was compulsory chapel…
2010—Y’know…how politically incorrect is that? What about diversity?
1960—(look at each other) That was THEN…before Birmingham and
Selma…before a global economy…before the Internet… HEY but we learned about our bodies in Baby Physiology…
2010—We-like- learned about our bodies in 4th grade….
1960—No males were allowed about the first floor but once I saw a guy sneaking out of a broom closet on the 2nd floor…
2010—Like…y’know---I saw a man in the shower this morning and he said “Hi”…
1960—Dorm doors weren’t locked until 10PM weekdays when “Quiet
Hours” began. No one locked their rooms. And there was that Honor
System—and a Judicial Board in case you forgot. The CURFEW
had to be obeyed.
2010—Curfews? I thought they were for countries at war with bloody
uprisings. We have so much electronic stuff (list ad lib) i-Pods, i-Phones…etc
1960—Different from us. Our big ticket items were clock radios,
record players and hair dryers. BUT, just like YOU…we Laughed-in, Stressed out, Burned out and then Checked-out of South Hadley to go onto the next things.
We left a big piece of ourselves and out hearts in this place.
[Hannah vocalizes last 2 lines of Mary Lyon]
1960—We thank you very much for helping us.
2010—No problem.
1960—We didn’t think it was a problem. Why don’t you say “You’re
welcome?
2010—No problem….
1960—(in unison) Like—WHATEVER… ?
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